Bangor Historic Register

Bangor’s architectural history is influenced by the great houses built in the boom years of the nineteenth century, with its resident lumber barons and its related commerce. The city’s role as a regional hub led to the development of such institutions as the commercial center at West Market Square, the theological seminary, and the mental…

Augusta Historic Register

                   Lithgow Library, 2017 Addition to the 1896 StructureRegister of Historic Places – Augusta Photos, and edited text are from nominations to the National Register of Historic Places researched by Maine. Historic Preservation Commission.Full text and photos are at https://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp  Much of Augusta’s history is tied to…

Bangor

Bangor Downtown near the West Market Square Historic District (2001)

When Maine separated from Massachusetts in 1820, the vast Maine timberlands were put on the block for speculation, which drew investors and fortune hunters. By the 1830s, Bangor was building 500 structures annually. Dow Air Force Base provided an economic and civic boost during the Cold War until closing in 1968. The creation of Bangor International Airport turned the potential liability into an asset.

Alfred

Church on Shaker Hill in Alfred (2012)

Originally, the area was known to the Native Americans as Massabesic and was acquired from Chief Fluellin in 1661 by Major William Phipps. Later a Shaker community settled on a hill overlooking what is now called Shaker Pond. Alfred is the county seat of York County and was the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930’s.

Economy

Haying in Western Maine (George French Collection, Maine State Archives)

The Maine economy has passed through stages typical of most states, with an initial focus on extractive activities (fishing, logging, slate and granite quarrying, other mining, and ice harvesting), and moving from subsistence farming to substantial agricultural development (apples, blueberries [see video in Hiram], potatoes, poultry). More Economic Data Ice harvesting, from ponds, streams or…

Timeline of Maine History 07: Growth, Civil War, and Economic Change

Joshua Chamberlain

1850-1899 Incorporations of new town across the state was a major theme of this period. Maine’s Hannibal Hamlin was elected Vice-President of the United States with Abraham Lincoln successful presidential campaign.  James G. Blaine ran unsuccessfully for president. The Civil War saw 73,000 Maine soldiers serving; with one in ten killed. Joshua Chamberlain of Brewer,…

Celebrating Maine’s Bicentennial Timeline of Maine History 06: Early Statehood

Early Maine State House

1820-1849 After a brief stint in Portland, in 1827 the permanent State Capital was designated to be Augusta; in 1832 the state government moved into the new, small State House. Expansions and improvements continued for decades. Maine’s northern boundary with Canada was in dispute, fostered the “Aroostook War,” and finally was settled by the Webster-Ashburtion…

Timeline of Maine History : Home

Beginning Major Eras in Maine History   ? Origins 1492 Exploration and Early Settlement 1652 Massachusetts and the Colonial Period 1775 The American Revolution 1790 Developing a Maine Identity 1820 Early Statehood 1850 Growth, Civil War, and Economic Change 1900 Reform and Optimism 1930 Depression and World War 1950 Seeds of Change 1975 Political Change,…

Addison

Addison Harbor near Addison Village (2004)

is a coastal town in Washington County, located at the junction of the Pleasant River and its West Branch, on a peninsular whose westerly portion comprises Cape Split in South Addison, and contains nature preserves, eagle nesting sites, and historic buildings.

Governors

William King, Maine

Governors initially were elected for one year terms, then two year terms beginning in 1880, and finally in 1962 four year terms were adopted. From 1820 through 1853, fifteen of the eighteen governors were Democratic-Republicans or Democrats. (See election results and election procedures.) William King, a wealthy business owner and politician, was the leading force…

Abbot

is a town in Piscataquis County, incorporated on January 31, 1827. It was one of several tracts granted to Bowdoin College in 1794 and was named for the College’s treasurer, John Abbott. (The final “t” in the town’s name seems to have been lost over the years.) In the 1870’s the town was prospering with two railway stations and a rail link to Bangor. Two covered bridges spanned the Piscataquis River.